ELL News Headlines

Rochester Public Schools English Language Learners, or EL Learners, got a chance to learn more about math and science in a fun, interactive way this past week.

For many teachers of English learners, working with students to build oral language skills has been especially crucial this year.  That’s because remote learning made those skills harder to practice last year. A report released this month detailed some of the common challenges: Students had fewer opportunities to talk with their classmates online, and teachers who specialized in language support often got pulled away to help with other duties. The charts and word banks that students rely on as they learn to speak a new language were harder to share in virtual classrooms, too.

In the last two years, Canada and several U.S. states have begun to recognize their histories with Native American boarding schools, institutions that set out to “assimilate” Native American children into westernized U.S. ways of life by stripping them of Indigenous tradition and culture. What would start with a small number of schools following the Indian Civilization Fund Act in 1819 would eventually grow to more than 350 “government-funded, and often church-run” schools across the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, according to the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition.

Fewer students are choosing language electives at school, but contrary to popular perception, it isn't purely a lack of interest causing the decline. My recent study suggests students want to study a language, but can't.

Managing a mental health crisis can be challenging for teenagers and their parents. It is often unchartered territory that needs to be navigated with the utmost sensitivity. This guidance may help.

From Title IX to a cure for malaria and anime to folklore, these 11 titles showcase the rich impact that Asian American and Pacific Islanders have had on American culture. 

Denver Public Schools has one electric school bus, solar panels in 46 locations, and 126 school and community gardens. But students are pushing the district to do more and become a national leader on climate action, sustainability, and environmental justice. "I really want to ensure a livable future for me and my generation," Amelia Fernández Rodríguez, a freshman at DSST: Conservatory Green high school, recently told the school board. She is a member of a group called DPS Students for Climate Action.

Latino/a adolescents who took on greater childcare responsibilities due to COVID-19 experienced a significant increase in symptoms of depression, anxiety and acting out behaviors such as aggression. They also experienced a significant drop in their grade point average, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

Such preparation goes into a smooth, exciting summer program — and each year, it's a new challenge to keep things fresh and manageable for staff. That's especially true these days. After two years of remote and hybrid programming, with varying levels of success, many schools and libraries have significantly rethought or streamlined their summer reading initiatives, with more reading choice; outdoor, online, or in-person options; and more. Here's how six libraries are updating and refreshing their plans for 2022.

As the only person in his immediate family born in the United States, Ezat Sharifi feels a sense of obligation to help immigrants. That's why he recently joined a small group of students in Howard County — all first-generation U.S. Citizens or immigrants themselves — in raising more than $1,200 for Afghan refugees living in their community.